AMD takes a different path with Sledgehammer chip

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by Dan Neel

(IDG) -- In preparation for the rapidly approaching dawn of 64-bit computing, Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) on Thursday unveiled the heart of its 64-bit strategy, a processor core code-named Sledgehammer that company officials said will run both 64-bit and 32-bit applications on the same silicon.

As part of the announcement, Sunnyvale, Calif.-based AMD will also publish the architectural specifications of Sledgehammer on the company's Web site. Publication of Sledgehammer 's specs will allow developers to begin creating the necessary compilers, applications, and software that will run on the AMD chip when it arrives early next year. AMD rival Intel published the specs for its up-coming 64-bit processor, called Itanium, just a few months ago.

However, unlike Santa Clara, Calif.-based Intel, which designed its Itanium processor as a dedicated 64-bit chip, leaving advances in 32-bit computing to next-generation Pentium processors, AMD's Sledgehammer will offer enhanced 64-bit performance on a 32-bit install base, according to Bob Mitton, division marketing manager for enterprise computing at AMD.

"We've been working with vendors, asking them how they want to [migrate to 64-bit computing], and they said keep it within the x86 architecture. Make it so 64-bit is backwards-compatible to 32-bit and will integrate into almost any existing environment," Mitton said.

Developed by Intel, x86 architecture is the foundation for nearly all PCs and is used by manufacturers such as AMD to build Intel-compatible chips. But Intel has engineered a new architecture for its 64-bit Itanium processor, called EPIC (explicitly parallel instruction computing), which AMD claims will have companies starting from scratch.

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"When people adopt 64-bit computing, no one wants a new engineering environment," Mitton said. "There would be a whole raft of people they would have to hire to deal with [a new architecture], so they want to minimize the impact on their environment. If you can deliver a 64-bit system that is compatible with 32-bit, there is less impact."

By delivering 64-bit functionality with x86 compatibility, AMD hopes to achieve a number of goals.

For platform suppliers, AMD is looking to Sledgehammer to minimize the impact on motherboard design and decrease the cost of technical support required for both a 32-bit and 64-bit systems.

For software vendors, Sledgehammer should enable the development of both 32-bit and 64-bit applications in parallel.

And for IS managers, Sledgehammer could relieve the need for a major IT transition into 64-bit computing

AMD officials also said the performance of existing 32-bit applications will be greatly improved while running on Sledgehammer.

But AMD's decision to keep 32-bit functionality on its 64-bit offering has drawn criticism, not only from Intel but also from industry experts who feel there is little reason to keep one foot in the 32-bit space when making the jump to 64-bit.

According to those familiar with the technology, the initial, primary use of 64-bit computing will be driving large, enterprise-level applications that require more than 4GB of memory -- applications most commonly found in large databases.

"Enterprise companies that want to go to 64-bit will go all the way. There is no reason to run 32-bit [over the same chip]," said Kevin Knox, a research director with Gartner Group in Stamford, Conn. Knox doesn't believe that 32-bit applications need to run any faster than they already do.

Mike Pope, director of the e-business solution program for Intel, agrees.

"There are just a handful of applications that need to run native 64-bit, like the data base applications and security, which is significantly enhanced on 64-bit," Pope said.

Pope believes that companies only need a 64-bit operating system and database, and that the majority of 32-bit applications currently available will run on top of the 64-bit platform without sacrificing performance.

"There is an argument to be made about staying with 32-bit applications," said Dean McCarron, an analyst with Mercury Research, based in Scottsdale, Ariz.

"Whether you're talking about a desktop or a server, the operating system is doing most of the job," McCarron said. "The application just tells the operating system to go do something, so anything you do to make the operating system faster makes the whole process faster."

Combining both 32-bit and 64-bit operations on the same silicon also raises the question of which execution path within the processor takes priority during dual calculations.

Intel, which has dedicated 64-bit silicon in Itanium, de-emphasizes the processor's 32-bit performance, according to Nathan Brookwood, and analyst with Insight 64.

"Intel has said that the 32-bit [applications] will run on top of IA-64 [Intel's 64-bit operating code], but not very fast," Brookwood said. "But, the guy who buys an IA-64 machine is not buying it for 32-bit programs but because it runs good 64-bit programs."

But until the performance benchmarking of actual, real-world AMD and Intel hardware begins, which design wins out is still anyone's call, Brookwood said.

"That, of course, is the 64-bit question," Brookwood said. "Whether the AMD box can perform like IA-64 on Itanium. If the AMD box can do it, we'd be looking from a purely architectural point of view at a superior solution, because Intel is forcing people to make a compromise."

With Sledgehammer, AMD may even be way ahead of the rest of the industry when it comes to 64-bit computing on desktop PCs, Brookwood said.

"If someone came up with a 64-bit desktop application, then AMD would have an advantage," Brookwood said. "As soon as the application base on PCs demands more than 4GB to run any particular application, that's when you will start to see pressure on the desktop for 64-bit processors. But the average use for a Windows 98 configuration is just south of 128MB, so we still have several years, as that demand tends to crawl forward at around 50 to 100 percent a year."

"We won't see 64-bit running on the desktop until 2006," Knox agreed. "This is a short-term play for AMD, but it's the right play. If they had gone after Intel and tried to beat them in the 64-bit space, I think that would have been difficult. As it is, it's going to be difficult for AMD to make it into the 64-bit enterprise space."

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